Never Disappointed: Crustacean, San Francisco

I'm very excited to be blogging about the next restaurant I want to share: Crustacean, in San Francisco. The story of Crustacean is a very unique and heartwarming one, and can be found on their website. It's a win-win situation: my heart is happy to support a restaurant that has such a rich history and happy story of determined women succeeding against all odds, and my tummy is happy to support their food - again, and again, and again!

On the dollar scale, from fast food to once-in-a-lifetime, I would say Crustacean rates "special occasion" - However, since discovering it last year, I've been there three times already and would not hesitate to go again tomorrow. To start, we ordered several appetizers, called "Small Plates" and costing around $10.00.

First we had the Papaya Salad with Calamari, "lightly marinated calamari tossed in spicy Vietnamese vinaigrette with green papaya, rau ram and fresh Asian basil." I'm not even sure what a natural papaya looks like - such an uncultured foodie - however, I do know that it was amazing, and am now a permanent papaya salad fan and will order it wherever else I see it, just so I can compare them and see who makes it the best!

Next we had the Vietnamese Carpaccio, "thinly sliced raw beef with a spicy lemon vinaigrette, Asian basil, sliced red onions and roasted peppers." My last trip to Crustacean, and the Salmon Carpaccio small plate that I ordered, had made me a carpaccio fan, but something about this dish just wasn't as stunning as the last one I tried. I would definitely re-order the salmon carpaccio next time, or try one of their many other small plates.

Crustacean Shrimp Toast. This was actually really delicious! I was wary about the idea of minced shrimp on bread. It didn't sound like it would mix well, but it was executed wonderfully and surprisingly delicious, like fruit on a salad. Ah yes..I still remember the first time I had fruit on a salad (Salt Lake City, Utah, early 2000s). Anyway. The toast was lightly broiled so that it was a tiny bit crunchy and toasty on the outside, but soft on the inside. They only serve three pieces, though, so if you go with a party of six like we did, you must be prepared to share. With so many other Small Plates yet to be tried, I will probably try something else next time.

Main Course Time, or as Crustacean calls them, "Large Plates" time! We ordered everything that Crustacean is famous for: first, the Roasted Dungeoness Crab. This is widely, widely recommended on blogs and review sites everywhere, and for a reason. The crab is perfectly roasted, and so savory that you have to try very hard to refrain from licking the shell! It's easy to crack (and it snaps crisply, not soggy and bendy like cheap crab does), and each bite of the tender meat inside reminds you why Crustacean is one of San Francisco's best seafood restaurants.

Second, and absolutely crucial for every visit, is the famous An's Garlic Noodles. I don't have a macro shot of the noodles themselves - they look like rather plain, ordinary noodles - but you can see them in the background of the Dungeoness Crab picture!

I knew about these garlic noodles way, way before I ever set foot in Crustacean itself. The first time I had it, I was hooked. Second time I had it, I was still hooked. Third time....yep, still hooked. :) I can't emphasize how much I recommend these garlic noodles. TIP: If you're not feeling spendy enough for a restaurant that's "special occasion" priced, though, you can get a very good alternative garlic noodle dish at Unicorn that I heartily recommend. It's lighter, and still very delicious.

Dessert! Most of us were tempted into the fried banana and ice cream, which is delicious and a must-have if you've never tried it. However, if you have had it, Crustacean's take on it is not particularly special - but it's not bad at all. But, the best of the night was definitely the Baked Alaska. Now, I am not a big fan of bananas. However, the sauce on the banana slices was divine - sweet without overpowering. I seriously respect any restaurant that can prepare a food I don't particularly like into a dish that I could die for, and this was definitely it!

With the dessert still on my mind hours later, I looked up Baked Alaska on the interwebs, and I can't say that the description of the dessert sounded like what we ate - so I'll have to order it at the next restaurant that offers it, for the sake of comparison.

Yeah...obviously, I am a huge fan of this restaurant and it has not failed to impress me even upon my return trips. I am always recommending this restaurant to friends and/or taking them there personally so I can get another meal in!